Chapter 768: Another Invitation from the School

“Exactly.”

Looking at Gong Zhengqi’s expression—as if he had just seen a ghost—Zeng Yunjun finally nodded in satisfaction, revealing the answer.

Gong Zhengqi was completely dumbfounded, feeling his entire worldview take a massive hit.

“But… but Dean Li is a pure practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine,” Gong Zhengqi stammered a retort. “He’s great at acupuncture, great at pulse diagnosis, and great at writing prescriptions—we all admit that. But that was a ruptured spleen! It was a purely Western surgical procedure that required cutting the patient open and searching for blood vessels to suture amidst a pool of blood. As a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, he’s probably barely even been to a dissection table. How could he possibly…”

Zeng Yunjun looked at him and suddenly smiled, a hint of emotion in his expression.

“Old Gong, who made the rule that a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner can’t perform surgery? Who told you Dean Li has never been to a dissection table?” Zeng Yunjun patted Gong Zhengqi’s shoulder and said earnestly. “I used to think the same as you. I thought traditional Chinese medicine was just about slow-acting physicians prescribing herbal brews. But that night, the anatomical knowledge, hemostatic techniques, and microscopic control over human tissues that Dean Li displayed on the operating table were far more precise and experienced than mine—and I’ve been a surgeon for thirty years.

“I even suspect that those very hands, capable of diagnosing the root of an illness through pulse-taking, can also ‘see’ the exact routing of blood vessels and nerves when holding a scalpel and needle holder.”

Gong Zhengqi was speechless. Although Zeng Yunjun spoke with absolute certainty, Gong Zhengqi still felt the whole thing was too sci-fi, too unbelievable.

A leading expert in traditional Chinese medicine was actually a hidden top-tier surgical master? If word of this got out, how many Western medicine experts’ jaws would drop?

The next day, Li Xu arrived punctually for his consultation hours at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Before he could even change into his white coat, Zeng Yunjun familiarly tracked him down, shamelessly insisting that Li Xu visit the Emergency Department again today to “provide some guidance.”

Li Xu helplessly pointed to the jam-packed stack of appointment slips on his desk. “Director Zeng, look at this lineup. I’m scheduled for a full day of expert consultations today. There are dozens of patients waiting eagerly outside, so I really can’t get away. Let’s make it tomorrow. I won’t have consultation hours tomorrow, so I’ll drop by your Emergency Department.”

“Alright, as long as I have your word, Dean Li. Tomorrow it is. I’ll have the young pups in the department get ready to learn a thing or two from you.” Having secured a promise, Zeng Yunjun finally left, completely satisfied.

Li Xu began his busy day of consultations. Taking advantage of a brief gap while a patient went to pick up medicine, he received a phone call from Director Liang of the Academic Affairs Office at Feng City Medical College.

This was already the third time Director Liang had called. His objective was singular: to invite Li Xu back to his alma mater to hold a large-scale public lecture for all the faculty and students. He was incredibly enthusiastic, almost bordering on pleading.

Li Xu had genuinely been too busy with affairs at the hospital and the pharmaceutical factory, so he had already politely declined twice. But this time, Director Liang humbled himself to the extreme and even brought up Dean Ai Rong, saying the response to the previous seminar had been phenomenal.

Many students wanted to attend another lecture, especially those who had missed the last one and were now strongly requesting it. Unable to refuse the goodwill of his alma mater any longer, Li Xu finally agreed, scheduling it for next Wednesday afternoon.

The following day.

The early morning sunlight spilled across the streets.

After washing up, Li Xu ate a simple breakfast prepared by Song Sisi, then arrived at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and headed straight for the Emergency Department.

“Dean Li.” Zeng Yunjun had clearly been waiting in the emergency hall early on. He spotted Li Xu immediately, waving enthusiastically as he strode over with a smile.

“Good morning, Director Zeng,” Li Xu responded with a smile.

“You were up all night tossing and turning with that surgery, and then you had consultations. Have you managed to get some good rest these past two days?” Zeng Yunjun asked with concern. He now respected this young vice dean from the bottom of his heart.

“I’ve rested well. As doctors, we’ve long been used to this kind of rhythm,” Li Xu replied casually.

“Xiaogao, come here a moment,” Zeng Yunjun turned and beckoned to a young doctor standing near a first aid station not far away.

Hearing the director’s call, the young doctor immediately dropped what he was doing and jogged over.

“Dean Li, let me introduce you. This is the chief resident physician of our Emergency Department, Gao Jingyun,” Zeng Yunjun introduced him to Li Xu. Then, turning to Gao Jingyun, he instructed strictly, “Xiaogao, this is Dean Li. Today, while Dean Li is providing guidance in our department, if there are any difficult or complicated cases, or anything you’re unsure of, you ask him directly for advice. Follow Dean Li’s arrangements for everything, understand?”

“Understood, Director Zeng,” Gao Jingyun nodded hastily.

As the chief resident of the Emergency Department, Gao Jingyun might not have been on the operating table during that massive chain of resuscitations the night before last, but he had watched the entire process unfold from within the department. He naturally knew that the young vice dean standing before him possessed not only miraculous traditional Chinese medicine skills that could bring the dying back to life, but also god-tier surgical abilities that made even Director Zeng willingly serve as an assistant.

He had nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for such a legendary figure.

“Hello, Dean Li,” Gao Jingyun greeted Li Xu respectfully.

In truth, Gao Jingyun was already thirty-three years old this year and had been roughing it in clinical practice for nearly a decade, making him several years older than Li Xu. But in the medical field, the accomplished served as teachers. Facing Li Xu, he behaved with the humility of a newly initiated intern.

“Hello, Dr. Gao. Thank you for your hard work,” Li Xu responded.

“Let’s go, Dean Li. I’ll take you for a walk through the wards.”

Li Xu followed Gao Jingyun, and they first arrived at the orthopedic trauma ward. The staffing and structure of the Emergency Department at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were quite extensive. More accurately, it should be called the “Emergency Division.” It had jurisdiction over several smaller departments, including Emergency Internal Medicine, Emergency Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma, and the ICU.

This was also why Zeng Yunjun, as the grand director of the Emergency Division, carried such immense weight when he spoke within the hospital. He was in charge of the hospital’s “front door” and its “lifeline.”

In the orthopedic trauma ward, there were quite a few on-duty doctors during the day. Just as they walked into the corridor, they heard a middle-aged doctor in a white coat calling for Gao Jingyun.

This was the deputy chief physician of the Orthopedic Trauma Department, Ren Hongbo.

“Director Ren, did you call for me?” Gao Jingyun walked over briskly and asked politely.

“Xiaogao, we’ve just admitted a patient with diabetes combined with severe toe ulceration. The wound has been relapsing for several months now and just won’t heal. It even shows signs of worsening. Hurry and coordinate a single-occupancy room for him. This condition is prone to infection and requires isolated care,” Ren Hongbo instructed, his brows tightly knitted as he held a medical record folder.

“Alright, I’ll get right on it,” Gao Jingyun replied hastily.

Li Xu’s gaze followed Ren Hongbo’s direction. Sitting on a waiting chair by the corridor was a haggard-looking middle-aged man in his forties. Beside the man was a woman of similar age with a face full of sorrow, presumably his wife.